Dallas and Fort Worth separate economic and population stats (Arlington: university, airport)

[JimBaker488]

Originally Posted by JKAddict

That's why I laugh when people say Dallas and Fort Worth should be separate metros.

But they are 2 seperate, distinct metros because the core cities of each, Dallas & Fort Worth, are 2 seperate and distinct cities. See the thing is, metros generally speaking are anchored by a single, much larger municipality than any surrounding cities which of course become the suburbs of the anchor city. But to a man, most everybody agrees Fort Worth is nobodys 'burb, afterall it's currently approximated 2/3rds the size of Dallas and growing more rapidly than Dallas with much higher expectations for long-term growth than Dallas.

[Trae713]

Yep. Both Dallas and Fort Worth have mini hub and spoke freeway systems that are connected to each other by three different freeways. Different than single anchored metro areas.

[R1070]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

But they are 2 seperate, distinct metros because the core cities of each, Dallas & Fort Worth, are 2 seperate and distinct cities. See the thing is, metros generally speaking are anchored by a single, much larger municipality than any surrounding cities which of course become the suburbs of the anchor city. But to a man, most everybody agrees Fort Worth is nobodys 'burb, afterall it's currently approximated 2/3rds the size of Dallas and growing more rapidly than Dallas with much higher expectations for long-term growth than Dallas.

Rather than the two being separate metros. I think most view them as two large cities that share the same suburban communities. It's hard to say that places like Grapevine, Arlington, Southlake, H-E-B, etc are strictly Ft Worth burbs because that's not the case.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by R1070

Rather than the two being separate metros. I think most view them as two large cities that share the same suburban communities. It's hard to say that places like Grapevine, Arlington, Southlake, H-E-B, etc are strictly Ft Worth burbs because that's not the case.

Yeah but they are mostly tied to Fort Worth. Just like Grand Prairie, Irving, Cedar Hill, or Duncanville. Those aren't strictly Dallas burbs, when they are close enough to the FW side.

[afoigrokerkok]

While there is some overlap, there's also a fairly distinct line that separates commuting patterns. Hurst/NRH/Keller/Mansfield go to FW, Bedford/Euless/Grapevine/most of Arlington/Southlake are more likely to commute to Dallas County (note I said "county").

The line can be seen very clearly when driving during rush hour, especially on Airport Freeway, with a fairly sudden shift in the direction of the traffic.

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by JimBaker488

But they are 2 seperate, distinct metros because the core cities of each, Dallas & Fort Worth, are 2 seperate and distinct cities. See the thing is, metros generally speaking are anchored by a single, much larger municipality than any surrounding cities which of course become the suburbs of the anchor city. But to a man, most everybody agrees Fort Worth is nobodys 'burb, afterall it's currently approximated 2/3rds the size of Dallas and growing more rapidly than Dallas with much higher expectations for long-term growth than Dallas.

According to the U.S. census, there are five principle cities in North Texas with these being

Fort Worth, Arlington.
Dallas, Irving, and Plano.

I could see the census in the near future adding Denton to that list as its two large universities could help the city develop its own independent economy.

[afoigrokerkok]

Originally Posted by AfroAmericanofColor

According to the U.S. census, there are five principle cities in North Texas with these being

Fort Worth, Arlington.
Dallas, Irving, and Plano.

I could see the census in the near future adding Denton to that list as its two large universities could help the city develop its own independent economy.

Only three principal cities can be listed in each area.

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

While there is some overlap, there's also a fairly distinct line that separates commuting patterns. Hurst/NRH/Keller/Mansfield go to FW, Bedford/Euless/Grapevine/most of Arlington/Southlake are more likely to commute to Dallas County (note I said "county").

The line can be seen very clearly when driving during rush hour, especially on Airport Freeway, with a fairly sudden shift in the direction of the traffic.

There is a large employment center in the area of DFW airport with 65,000 plus employees and in and around Las Colinas in Irving with 100,000 plus employees. Because of a poorly designed transportation infrastructure in northeast Tarrant county, the business to the northeast of DFW airport along the Highway 114 corridor into Grapevine, Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club and so on tend to fall more within the influence of the principle city of Irving than Fort Worth.
So, the traffic patterns of Grapevine / Southlake / Westlake/ Coppell, and parts of both Lewisville and Flower Mound to towards Irving / DFW area.

[AfroAmericanofColor]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

Only three principal cities can be listed in each area.

That would be Fort Worth and Arlington in one area and Plano, Irving, and Dallas in the other. I'm not making this up. That is how the Census divides up the North Texas region.

But it makes sense as well. Arlington has long been considered a principle city along with Dallas and Fort Worth even sixty years ago when an I-35 central was planned to proceed through it along with the I-35 east to Dallas and the I-35 west to Fort Worth. It has its own major university in the University of Texas at Arlington. Plano is a principle city in how it has a symbiotic relationship with every suburb surrounding it concerning a huge ring of commercial development surrounding it on all sides. Therefore, Plano is a principle city similar to Dallas in how it is spawning its own suburbs north. And Irving has developed into the principle city of the Aeropolis that is DFW airport.

Consider the predicament of Arlington in building a mass transit center? Being in the middle, where does it connect? Just getting started, in order to be viable, it will have to run bus lines to downtown Fort Worth, downtown Dallas, and to DFW airport.

[Trae713]

Originally Posted by afoigrokerkok

While there is some overlap, there's also a fairly distinct line that separates commuting patterns. Hurst/NRH/Keller/Mansfield go to FW, Bedford/Euless/Grapevine/most of Arlington/Southlake are more likely to commute to Dallas County (note I said "county").

The line can be seen very clearly when driving during rush hour, especially on Airport Freeway, with a fairly sudden shift in the direction of the traffic.

Have you seen the backups heading into Fort Worth in the morning from Arlington?